Online Database Will Show How All Washington State Fees Spent

Soon, Washington residents will finally be able to see where their money is going from state fees.

Senator Mark Schoesler (R) of Ritzville has sponsored a bill that was signed by Gov. Inslee that creates a online database.

Currently, some 40 different state agencies collect fees from fishing and license to non-profit bingo facilities. Schoesler said residents often have no idea what fees are required until they actually have to pay them and it's often a surprise. He says citizens have also told him they want to see where the money is going from these fees.

This new inventory will display all state agencies that collect fees, what they are for, where the money goes, and the legal statute that created the fee.

Schoesler says it important for state government to be completely accessible to citizens and they have a right to know where their dollars are going.

The new bill will take effect in July, at which time the website address will be released to the public.